Play.com and VAT

Socos · 27-11-2006 10:09PM

I got a letter for a dvd boxset that was posted from Hong Kong so they do seem to be targeting that too

Royale with Cheese · 28-11-2006 01:14AM

God damn this is so sh*te. Just ordered a dvd off play for €9, that'll get through alright won't it?

alastair_doom · 28-11-2006 01:15AM

Is there any alternative to paying the VAT?

e.g. having the item returned for a refund?

Our man in Havana · 28-11-2006 01:34AM

Royale with Cheese wrote:

God damn this is so sh*te. Just ordered a dvd off play for €9, that'll get through alright won't it?

So long as its under €22.

Our man in Havana · 28-11-2006 01:37AM

alastair_doom wrote:

Is there any alternative to paying the VAT?

e.g. having the item returned for a refund?

If the VAT is not paid it should be simply returned to sender. I have no idea how long this takes.

Basq · 28-11-2006 01:39AM

Feck that anyways..

... speaking of Play.com, they still haven't sent out my free DVD!

Jaysus, that's another online retailer to add to my ever increasing "shít list!"

eth0_ · 28-11-2006 10:25AM

Well, if anything this is only going to encourage even more piracy.
I for one will be downloading all the CD's and DVD's I need from now on.

Cheers, Revenue!

stevejazzx · 28-11-2006 10:43AM

Hold on

I just had a massive amount of stuff delivered

seinfeld season 7 - 40
seinfeld season 5 - 22
dark messiah - 40

the rest were books, and dvds under 22 euro but i never got hit on tax for any of the above, just arrived friday 24 november?

Doodlebug · 28-11-2006 11:16AM

alanceltic wrote:

....I would be interested to hear what the credit card companies have to say if you were to raise a chargeback request on the grounds that the contract wasnt fulfilled, ie you never got the goods, this seems fair grounds in my opinion to get a full refund via your card issuing bank and if this happens quite regularly im sure the card companies wouldnt waste too much time telling PLAY to get their gaff in order or be blacklisted from shipping to Ireland....

Very interesting points you raise there alanceltic!

Anything to do with credit card complaints definately make any company sit up and take notice. I wonder if its appropriate here though? As you do actually get the goods, once you pay any fees due in your juristiction (a simple disclaimer on the traders site would cover that I'd say?).

So I wonder will traders like www.HMV.co.uk take a similar hit? (Their stuff is sent from channel Islands AFAIK).

Also, if you were to move from PLAY.com, who would you move to that complies with Irish govt. requirements and offers deals better than the local shop (which may be a UK multiple anyway :rolleyes: but thats another bucket of bananas!).

Sleepy · 28-11-2006 12:08PM

eth0_ wrote:

Well, if anything this is only going to encourage even more piracy.
I for one will be downloading all the CD's and DVD's I need from now on.

Cheers, Revenue!

Yup, definitely going to encourage further piracy imho.

I only ever buy CD's/DVD's from cdwow or if they're on huge mark-down in local stores. I'm a big music and movies fan but simply won't pay the €25 the likes of HMV are now charging for recent releases.

FakePlasticMan · 28-11-2006 12:40PM

This is thoroughly depressing news..and what perfect timing huh? I have a whole load of stuff ordered for Christmas Pressies...one is a boxset coming from Amazon in the States that is not available in Europe ..and I know it's gonna be over €22. Bugger!!

I wonder how much of this is down to pressure being applied by the big retailers here. They must be aware of how much business they are losing to Play.com and the likes.

If this continues, watch the prices in the shops take a sudden hike again.

johnny_adidas · 28-11-2006 01:33PM

if the stuff is under €22 can anyone confirm if the items are being delayed?
and if the stuff is over €22, how much of a delay are people experiencing?

(even with the VAT added, some of the stuff is still cheaper than here, so if i knew that id still receive the packages before xmas, ill still order)

edit: just realised theres a €5 processing few also. guess thats where it starts to get expensive if each item is just over the 22 euro originally.

Mizu_Ger · 28-11-2006 01:39PM

FakePlasticMan wrote:

This is thoroughly depressing news..and what perfect timing huh? I have a whole load of stuff ordered for Christmas Pressies...one is a boxset coming from Amazon in the States that is not available in Europe ..and I know it's gonna be over €22. Bugger!!

I wonder how much of this is down to pressure being applied by the big retailers here. They must be aware of how much business they are losing to Play.com and the likes.

If this continues, watch the prices in the shops take a sudden hike again.

Me too!! I have 4 boxes in the post from Amazon.com. The first arrived today (to my Mother's house, I send all packages there as they are always in!) and she had to pay €22 duty (the pacakage's value was $82 inc p&p). The postman told her that they are cracking down on internet purchases. The other 3 boxes are about the same value, so its gonna get expensive.

I have ordered regularly from Amazon over the years, but this'll put a stop to it!

I always thought that Play and CDWOW orders were shipped from within the EU and were okay for these type of charges, but obviously not.

MOH · 28-11-2006 02:10PM

basquille wrote:

Feck that anyways..

... speaking of Play.com, they still haven't sent out my free DVD!

Jaysus, that's another online retailer to add to my ever increasing "shít list!"

Just wondering about that. Mine's on the way, but if they put the orignal price instead of free on the shipping label, will we have to pay VAT on our free DVD?

Hobbes · 28-11-2006 02:51PM

So I sent a package from Korea (when I was over there) to myself as it was too much stuff to carry onto the plane. I slapped 100 euros as the value as thats about what it was (for insurance reasons).

Am I now going to get slapped for more cash now? o_O

djkeogh · 28-11-2006 02:59PM

This news is a major pain. I was about to whip out the credit card to buy a whole load of stuff off CDWOW and PLAY but what with these extra charges am thinking twice. Not gonna be saving any money with 21% + €5 being added to purchases. Very Annoying and what a time of year to start it!

abelard · 28-11-2006 03:11PM

basquille wrote:

Feck that anyways..

... speaking of Play.com, they still haven't sent out my free DVD!

Jaysus, that's another online retailer to add to my ever increasing "shít list!"

Tell me, who isn't on that list any more?

starman100 · 28-11-2006 03:28PM

I placed 2 orders with Play recently (2 games, one at 22.49 a fortnight ago, the other 26.99 about a week ago).

The 26.99 item arrived yesterday no problem but no sign of the cheaper item so that must have been held up.

Surely with the sheer volume of packages coming up to Xmas, some stuff will slip through the net? Question is how much and is it worth taking the chance?

Our man in Havana · 28-11-2006 03:39PM

I will stick with amazon.co.uk as it is has no risk, esp coming close to xmas.

johnny_adidas · 28-11-2006 03:43PM

i already tried this but amazon wouldnt send any games or controllers, PC or PS2 (although funnily enough they would send Encarta 06 or a book)

dereko1969 · 28-11-2006 03:44PM

i just received a box of dvds from deepdiscountdvd in the US, bold as brass on the outside it had $60 as the value. no VAT or duty charge, also received another box the week before with a value of $40 from the US no problem there either. has anyone been hit with a charge for anything not from PLAY? Could be Revenue are just targetting them. Regarding orders from amazon.co.uk they're posted from the UK with UK Vat paid so I don't think they'd be hit. It's all a pain in the swiss.

stevejazzx · 28-11-2006 03:49PM

starman100 wrote:

I placed 2 orders with Play recently (2 games, one at 22.49 a fortnight ago, the other 26.99 about a week ago).

The 26.99 item arrived yesterday no problem but no sign of the cheaper item so that must have been held up.

Surely with the sheer volume of packages coming up to Xmas, some stuff will slip through the net? Question is how much and is it worth taking the chance?

Yeah but everything I've ordered has slipped through the net,
just got lost season 2 from play

Zen 2nd · 28-11-2006 03:54PM

Well I have order Ghost in the Shell SAC Complete Series 2 which is released on the 4th of December, for €120. So I'll inform you if the Revenue sends me out a letter regarding VAT or not.

I hope they don't charge VAT, not because of the money I would have to pay, but, the time it takes for that item to reach me before Christmas would get harder.

Mizu_Ger · 28-11-2006 04:14PM

dereko1969 wrote:

i just received a box of dvds from deepdiscountdvd in the US, bold as brass on the outside it had $60 as the value. no VAT or duty charge, also received another box the week before with a value of $40 from the US no problem there either. has anyone been hit with a charge for anything not from PLAY? Could be Revenue are just targetting them. Regarding orders from amazon.co.uk they're posted from the UK with UK Vat paid so I don't think they'd be hit. It's all a pain in the swiss.

I got an $80 box of DVDs today from Amazon and had to pay €22 duty/handling on it. First time have been hit with a charge. I have 3 more boxes on the way with values between $65 and $95, so will probably get hit for those too!:mad:

J.R.HARTLEY · 28-11-2006 04:45PM

Whats Pissing me off about the whole thing is that there are only two reasons to shop online
1. item not available in Ireland (the Government seem to be operating a "you'll take what you're given and like it" policy in regard to irish retail.) no choice for the consumer to bu yelsewhere.
2. item is a complete rip off in ireland,e.g. €52.99 per half season in shops vs full season online for $60, the reason for this is that they have
A. failed to keep inflation in check(which isn't very true) or
B. Couldn't give a toss about consumer issues, or what it costs us peasants to live (very much the latter i think)

dor83 · 28-11-2006 05:13PM

I just got 2 packages from Play-Asia(Hong Kong) this morning, both over $50 and no charges. I have never been charged from them . I have 3 more on the way this week so I'll let you know if they charge me.

okidoki987 · 28-11-2006 05:50PM

There's no way the Renevue can keep track of all the orders.
I'd say it's hit and miss, you may be unlucky but probably 1 or 2 in 10
will get hit.
Can't understand why they charge a fiver

Somebody should get onto Joe "saviour of the common people" Duffy
and get him on the case.

What if you were buying a dvd from cdwow.ie for 26.99 and was using a
MacD's fiver off voucher to buy it?
What value would they put on it?
Also if you sent an e-mail to cdwow or play, couldn't they put the value as 21.99?

Our man in Havana · 28-11-2006 08:14PM

okidoki987 wrote:

There's no way the Renevue can keep track of all the orders.
I'd say it's hit and miss, you may be unlucky but probably 1 or 2 in 10
will get hit.
Can't understand why they charge a fiver
Somebody should get onto Joe "saviour of the common people" Duffy
and get him on the case.

What if you were buying a dvd from cdwow.ie for 26.99 and was using a
MacD's fiver off voucher to buy it?
What value would they put on it?
Also if you sent an e-mail to cdwow or play, couldn't they put the value as 21.99?

They put the full price on the label.

tabatha · 28-11-2006 08:42PM

what i cant understand is i got a dvd boxset from play this morning valused at 35.99 euro. it says on the label "import vat pre-paid". so i have paid vat.

nlgbbbblth · 28-11-2006 11:50PM

Doodlebug wrote:

Also, if you were to move from PLAY.com, who would you move to that complies with Irish govt. requirements and offers deals better than the local shop (which may be a UK multiple anyway :rolleyes: but thats another bucket of bananas!).

Amazon.co.uk

Ok, they charge postage but

1 - Wider selection than Play.com
2 - Don't send everything separately
3 - Post from Ireland so stuff arrives within two days as opposed to a week or longer
4 - Lower prices here plus unlike HMV, Virgin and other small shops who refuse point blank to stock certain cult television DVDs, can pretty much supply most things.

I ordered The Beatles Live At The BBC from Play. The cost was €25.99 and the package was posted 8 days ago. Still no sign of it or a letter demanding the VAT.

It will interesting to see if packages from Amazon.com get hit. I have had received dozens of orders from them in excess of $100 without any hassle. They fact that they ship via Germany and state this on the label must help. However I'm fearful of placing any new orders at the moment.

Play.com and VAT

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